


Not Quite Goodbye

by LaBelleetlaloup



Series: A plus tard et rebonjour [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Always Female Stiles Stilinski, Gen, POV Stiles, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 21:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4761677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaBelleetlaloup/pseuds/LaBelleetlaloup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A snippet just after season 4 that has some good news instead of bad news. Also, Derek doesn't like the word goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Quite Goodbye

Unlike when Derek had taken Cora back to her pack, he said goodbye when he left after Mexico. The FBI van had to be returned and no one had packed for a trip, so at least a quick stop in Beacon Hills had been required. For Braeden, that was all it was. She returned the van and gathered her things and hit the road. Scott and Kira both thought that Derek had left with Braeden, and wasn’t it romantic? Malia, Liam, and Lydia believed them. Stiles knew better because Braeden had been gone several days when Derek showed up at her door with a ring of keys and a well-worn architectural plan for a house with 3 floors, an attic, a basement, and 11 bedrooms.

“So it was you who had the house demolished,” Stiles murmured, eyeing the house plans.

“Yeah, it was me,” Derek agreed. “I’ve already got everything ready, but I’m putting you in charge.” Stiles had been expecting this in some way or another since Derek had first walked into her life: him leaving town.

“I will be reliable and responsible and not have a trampoline installed in the office.” Stiles grinned at Derek who shook his head with a fond smile.

“Chris has agreed to intercede on Peter’s behalf, get him moved to a better facility than Eichen because technically Peter never broke the code, but I have to go with him. Otherwise I’d oversee all this myself, but I don’t want to put this off indefinitely.”

“I understand,” Stiles assured him. “I’m glad Peter won’t be in Eichen. That place was terrifying and I wasn’t in the jail part.” Derek nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. He steered the conversation back to less emotional territory.

“I’m taking the Toyota. Please run Laura’s Camaro when you can. That’s this key. This is the master key for my building and the spares for the loft. Don’t want them lying around but I doubt you’ll need them. This key is for the safety deposit box, where the deeds are, if you need those for any reason. Also, Laura’s favorite necklace and a bracelet of mom’s are there, you can’t have either.”

“I will not take family heirlooms,” Stiles promised.

Derek nodded, “Good. Here’s all my contact information if you need me.” Derek handed her a slip of paper with phone numbers and addresses and an email and sighed. “Don’t give it to Scott.”

“Scott thinks you left with Braeden from Mexico,” Stiles informed him. “I wasn’t planning on correcting him.”

“That’s fine.” Derek’s eyes darted over the things on the table, probably going back over a mental checklist. “And between your problems and mine, I seem to have missed your birthday, so here you go.” He pulled a small gift box out of his jacket pocket. Stiles took it tentatively, uncertain as to what to expect. Derek was waiting on her to open it though, so Stiles pulled the bow off and opened the box. It was an onyx triskelion pendant on a leather necklace. That looked rather significant.

“Thank you.”

“It’s… It’s like a formal declaration that you’re Hale pack. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I just, I had it made for you last fall for your birthday. So I’m giving it to you.”

“I like it,” Stiles told him. “I’m still not buying that True Alpha story. Asshole tried to say that you were an irredeemable monster for offering the bite and then bit me without asking while I was possessed. Who does that?”

“Scott,” Derek replied with a wry twist of his lips. “I’ll try to come back soon but Peter’s going to be getting some therapy and he only gets to stay so long as I’m there to be liable for him.”

“No, take your time,” Stiles shook her head. “Let Peter heal at his own pace. Try some therapy yourself if you want to. I’m not leaving town for more than a couple days until college anyway and Scott won’t hurt me on purpose. And without you around to get us into trouble, I’m certain it’ll be totally quiet.”

“Yeah,” Derek sighed. “Totally quiet.” Stiles bit back what she wanted to say, how she wanted to tell him what she had processed in Mexico, looking at him dying on the ground. Instead she gave him different news.

“Oh, before you go, there’s something I should tell you. Between your problems and mine, I never got a chance.”

Derek huffed at her, “What?”

“Erica and Boyd survived the Alpha pack,” Stiles told him. “I meant to tell you but then my dad was gone and Cora was sick and the Darach and then I was possessed and then you were kidnapped and then avoiding everyone… So I’m super sorry that it’s been so long.”

“They’re alive?” Derek asked, his voice cracking and eyes glistening.

“Yeah. I got Jackson to take them in. They’re in London with him. I’ll tell you, they were damn close to dead. I don’t think either of them realize just how close. But you chose strong Betas. They managed to pull through.”

“Thank…” Derek trailed off. He looked completely floored.

“Hug?” Stiles offered, opening her arms. “I’ll put their contact info in your phone once you look less like you’re going to fall over.” Derek nodded absently and stepped into her embrace. Stiles awkwardly patted his shoulder, trying not to make the hug more intimate than appropriate.

“Thank you so much,” Derek mumbled. Stiles just nodded. Finally Derek stepped back. Stiles put Jackson and Erica and Boyd’s info into his phone. Derek nodded and did not say the word goodbye as he walked back out the door. Stiles sent Jackson a quick text, warning him that she had finally gotten a chance to tell Derek about Erica and Boyd. Oh, she had forgotten to mention that Isaac was with Jackson too. But Derek had never thought Isaac was dead. He would forgive her the mental slip, she was certain. Stiles put Derek’s contact info in her phone and burned the slip of paper, carefully disposing of the ashes, before taking the house plans and key ring upstairs and hiding them at the bottom of one of her desk drawers.


End file.
